News - September 2017 RSS Feed

OLEAN — At the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels Sunday morning, scouts from Boy Scout Troop 617 walked down the center aisle with two folded American flags — the same two flags that were first brought to the church and placed on the altar on the afternoon of Sept. 11, 2001. St. Mary’s officials brought out the flags — as they sometimes do for special occasions like Memorial Day and Veterans Day — for its Blue Mass, which honored local first responders one day before the 16th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks. The Rev. Gregory Dobson, St. Mary’s pastor, and the Rev. Patrick Melfi, pastor of St. John’s Roman Catholic Church, gave words of appreciation and a standing ovation was held for the several dozen police officers, firefighters and paramedics, as well as their families, that were in attendance. “This is what we're about: showing appreciation and praying for you,” Dobson told the congregation. Dobson, the Olean Police Department chaplain, thanked first responders for their security at St. Mary’s basilica solemnization Mass in June and said it’s important to “acknowledge heroes.” “Many have said to me, ‘Oh it’s just my job, Father. I’m just an ordinary Joe,’” Dobson said. “When you go to work, you’re always at risk. There's no guarantee you're going to come home. That’s heroic what you’re doing for this community and we are grateful.” While he said it was not his place to tell them how to do their jobs, Dobson did offer first responders some advice: take care of yourself by being physically, mentally and spiritually fit. He also noted that first responders sometimes see “pretty awful things” in their line of work, and it’s crucial they seek support, if they need it. “You need to process that so you don’t bring it home,” Dobson said. Melfi, the Olean Fire Department chaplain, said that “sadly” it’s taken an event like 9/11, in which 414 first responders lost their lives, for people to realize the dangers first responders put themselves in. “Unfortunately that loss of life brings us to that moment where we want to take that time to recognize they put their lives on the line for us so we can have a safe community,” he said. Olean Fire Chief Robert Bell said the anniversary of 9/11 has a special meaning for first responders. “For me, 9/11 shows us we're going inside buildings, we’re doing our job,” he said. “It’s real easy for us to say, ‘It’s our job,’ but it’s a community of first responders, police officers, firemen, where if you need to help, all you need to do is ask for it and a bunch of us show up.” He called Sunday’s Blue Mass “humbling.” “The real heroes are the guys over there fighting those wars and the people down fighting (Hurricanes Harvey and Irma in Texas and Florida),” he said, “but the acknowledgment surely is appreciated, but it’s always there in the community.”

26 photos from our Blue Mass held Sunday, September 10, 2017 at the basilica.

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Olean Catholic Community to Celebrate Blue Mass for First Responders   Olean (NY)— The Olean Catholic Community will celebrate a “Blue Mass” at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels on Sunday, September 10, 2017. This 11:30AM Mass is an opportunity for the community to honor local EMS, fire and law enforcement personnel of all faiths who live and work in the region.  Chaplains for both the Olean Fire Fighters and Olean Police welcome area first responders, paid and volunteer staff, families and friends, to attend this special Mass to honor and thank these men and women for their service to the common good and pray for their continued safety. Presiders at the Mass will be Rev. Gregory Dobson, VF,  Rector of the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels who is the Olean Police Chaplain and Father Patrick Melfi, Pastor of St. John’s Church who is the Olean Fire Fighters’ Chaplain. They will bestow blessings upon all first responders who contribute to public health and safety in the region. Historically, the Blue Mass was a tradition started in the Catholic Church in 1934 in Washington, D.C. when about 1,100 police and firemen dressed in uniform marched into St. Patrick’s Catholic Church for the celebration of the first Blue Mass that September. Blue signifies the traditional color of the uniforms of first responders. Since then, across the United States, the Blue Mass has been held as a way to thank first responders who serve the community and to ask God for their continued protection. A Blue Mass is now commonly celebrated annually on or near September 11. First responders are invited to attend with their families and to wear their uniform or other insignia. “This year’s event is especially significant as an expression of gratitude for the security efforts undertaken by local law enforcement personnel to assure the safety of our guests for the Basilica Solemnization Mass in June,” said Father Dobson. “They did an outstanding job for that historic event here in Olean, and we are appreciative of their level of professionalism and inter-agency cooperation in planing and executing the security plan,” he said.    CATHOLIC MASS: Procession; Scripture readings, hymns, Psalms, sermon (homily) by the Olean Police Chaplain, Blessing over First Responders; Liturgy of the Eucharist (note: Holy Communion guidelines for Catholics is in the front cover of the Missal); prayer for First Responders; Recession with traditional bagpipes. PARKING: Behind old YMCA; behind red brick building next to the basilica; along the streets. More information on attending Mass at the basilica (bathrooms, seating etc.) can be found at this link: http://smaolean.org/fas-for-visitors